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Chapter 9

Theo absolutely hated_that Yuri had made him look like Kuza. They boarded the _Hu-Mionda, and wolves who knew Kuza kept greeting Theo, saying things to him that he didn't understand. He quickly decided to pretend to be drunk. Leaning on Kilyan's arm and dry-retching got him out of a lot of conversations that would have exposed him as a fraud otherwise.

Some of the wolves addressed the three in moon tongue, and Yuri would then step in, speaking her native language quickly and without hesitation. Her tone was so confident - and sometimes commanding - that the other wolves showed her a surprising amount of deference. Whatever Yuri had told the slavers, they were allowed to take Theo below deck - under the pretense, of course, that he was a very drunk Kuza.

Below deck, they paused in the corridor, and Kilyan dropped his arm from around Theo.

"What did you tell those guys, Yuri?" Theo wondered.

Yuri shrugged. "That Kilyan and I are from the sun village; that you got drunk and needed us to help you back. They said something about Kuza being out all night and his cousin being angry."

"Let's focus," Kilyan said grimly. "We need to find Roan and get out of here."

Theo nodded. "Right. I'll check the first three cabins on the left --"

"No," Kilyan said at once. "We stay together. Would look suspicious if we separated now. Come on."

They went up the corridor. Kilyan went to a door and started to open it.

"Wait," Yuri said. "If Roan is inside . . . the crystal will glow . . ." She tilted her staff toward the door and nothing happened.

"Next," Theo said at once. "Come on!"

They went from door to door. There were a few times when slavers emerged from their rooms and looked at the three curiously but otherwise went about their business. The slavers were especially curious about Yuri and her staff but seemed to believe her disguise, shrugging as they took her for nothing more than a sun wolf sorcerer.

They were drawing near the end of the hall when a voice made them all pause.

"I know that smell!"

Kilyan stiffened. "I know that voice."

"Who is it?" Theo wondered. He exchanged startled glances with Yuri.

Kilyan shook his head. "It can't be!" Before the younger wolves could protest, Kilyan pushed open a door and flew in. Theo and Yuri followed him.

"Kilyan! It's really you this time - oh!"

Kilyan stood frozen, staring straight ahead. Theo followed his gaze to a bulky wolf who knelt on the scattered straw. He was gray and bulging with muscles, and his earnest eyes were the palest blue. His ankle was tethered to the wall with a heavy chain, and he stared at Kilyan with something between longing, sadness . . . and joy.

"It's really you," the prisoner whispered again.

Theo came up beside Kilyan and saw the older male's lips tighten. "How does he recognize you?"

"He can see through the Glamour," Yuri said darkly, coming up beside Kilyan as well, "because he loves Kilyan."

Theo's brows went up. "He what?" he said in amazement and couldn't believe when Kilyan closed his eyes wearily. "What is going on here?"

Yuri ignored Theo. Her pretty sable eyes narrowed on the kneeling prisoner. "But do you recognize me, you big bastard?"

The prisoner looked hard at Yuri, and when his lips parted, Theo knew he was seeing her behind the illusion. He shook his head and shuffled back. "You," he said, looking at Yuri in wonder. "The girl . . . the little gi --"

Theo gasped when light shot from Yuri's staff and snaked around Tyne's neck. Tyne froze as if paralyzed. He was lifted up lightning quick and slammed against the wall. Holding the staff aloft, Yuri came slowly toward him, her sable eyes alight with rage.

"Yuri!" Kilyan hissed.

"Yuri . . ." Theo's eyes went fearfully to Tyne, who was hovering off the ground, kicking and choking. "You're killing him - stop!" He glanced anxiously at the door, but Yuri had closed it and he heard no feet thumping up the corridor.

"Put him down!" Kilyan cried.

Yuri ignored them. She looked up at Tyne, brown eyes bright with rage, fangs bare. "You killed my father!" she roared through a sob.

"I kn-know," Tyne sputtered, "I'm s --"

"IF!" Yuri shouted. "You say you're sorry to me, I will peel the fur off your body head to toe! Tu vida inada!"

Tyne gasped helplessly and drool seeped from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were turning bloodshot.

"Yuri, for fuck's sake!" Theo growled. He started forward but Kilyan put out his arm.

"Don't," Kilyan warned, his eyes fixed on the staff. "You touch her and you'll get shocked. Yuri," he said, lifting his voice, "put him down, sweetheart! Put him down!"

Yuri tried to ignore Kilyan but she was relenting: the snapping rage in her eyes softened and her paws shook. Theo watched her and thought that Kilyan was one of the few wolves who could ever reach her - the other wolf being Zaldon. Even Enya would not have been able to stop Yuri in this moment. Not even Enya.

Tyne gagged. "S-Stop . . . p-please --"

"Yuri . . ." Kilyan took a careful step. He slowly reached out. "Let him go, honey. He can't hurt you anymore . . . let him go."

Yuri broke down sobbing. The staff dropped from her paw, bounced, and hit the floor with a clatter. The light scattered. The moment he was released, Tyne dropped in a heap. He lay there in pain, gasping and choking. Theo saw him massaging his throat and was shocked to see blood on it.

Yuri's face contorted. She sank to her knees and Kilyan sank with her, holding her as she cried.

"It's alright . . . he can't hurt you anymore . . . he can't . . ." Kilyan whispered.

"Papa . . ." Yuri moaned. "Papa . . ."

Kilyan rocked her, and Theo knew she was not calling for Zaldon. He watched Yuri sympathetically a moment, then his eyes went to Tyne, and he was surprised to see the prisoner was watching Yuri sadly as well.

"Yuri . . ." Tyne sat up, looking at her with blue eyes bright with sorrow. "I can't take back what I've done . . . but know that I'm not that male anymore."

Yuri looked up from Kilyan's arms, her face etched in contempt. The Glamour was still on her, and she looked at Tyne now with a male's hard face. The look was enough to cow a bull.

"You destroyed my life!" Yuri accused, throat flexing, tears pouring. "My life!"

"No," Kilyan told her. "Yuri, look at me!" He took Yuri by the shoulders and she sniffled with tears as she obeyed. "Tyne did not destroy your life. You are too strong for that! You are happy, you are in love, you are about to marry my niece! You have wolves who care about you - fathers, friends, and mothers standing beside you. You are not alone and you are loved." He glanced at Tyne. "He destroyed the life you might have had. But . . ." He smiled at Yuri. "He didn't destroy you."

Yuri smiled at Kilyan gratefully, her lips trembling.

"Now go and stand guard at the door with Theo," Kilyan told her gently, "while I talk to Tyne."

Yuri nodded and blinked out tears. She gathered her staff up from the floor and went to the door. Theo hesitated but followed her.

Kilyan stood and faced Tyne, who was sitting in the straw again, massaging his throat.

"Are you alright?" Kilyan asked curtly.

Tyne smiled at him. "Never better, my beautiful black thing. Who knew that little girl would g-grow up to become a s-sorceress?" He coughed, wiping the spit from his face. "Or such a powerful one at that."

"Is it true?" Kilyan asked quietly.

"Did I kill her father?" Tyne said heavily. "It wasn't my paw. The chief ordered it so he could get Yana, give Yuri to his son. I . . . passed along the order. So I had a part."

Kilyan's lip curled. "So how does Yuri know? Did you do it in front of her?"

Tyne looked away miserably. "We were supposed to take her father out to sea and kill him, say he died in a storm or something. And that's what we did," he said with a dull shrug. "But Yuri . . . she overheard me talking about it with some of my wolves. So she always knew." He looked at Kilyan hesitantly. "What . . . became of Yana?"

"She drowned."

"Ah . . ." Tyne stared at the floor.

"Where's my son?"

"With the shipmaster. In his office."

Kilyan turned abruptly and started for the door.

"W-Wait, Kilyan! Please . . ."

Kilyan turned to face Tyne again.

"Talk to me a moment - please. Roan isn't in danger. He's with Hukida. Hukida has been caring for him. And the slavers . . . they won't be around to check on me for hours."

Kilyan sighed, looking at Tyne reluctantly. "Alright," he said at last and sat with him in the straw. He saw Theo and Yuri stare at him incredulously from across the room. Yuri's staff began to glow and she shook her head. Theo looked tense.

"You have five minutes," Kilyan said, giving Tyne a half-smile.

Tyne smiled at him fondly. "But five minutes was never nearly enough."

Kilyan cleared his throat and looked away, and he heard Tyne chuckling.

"How have you been?" the prisoner asked softly.

Kilyan saw the gentle light in Tyne's eyes and it momentarily took him back, back to that day eleven years ago - when Tyne was yelled at, raped, and humiliated right in the throne room. The moon chief had been furious that Tyne had tried to free Kilyan. . . . and furious that Tyne apparently loved Kilyan. The chief had spoken nothing but the moon tongue, but there had been something accusatory in his yelling. It had been the tone of a lover. A betrayed lover.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Kilyan said with a snort. "The last time I saw you, you looked to be in deep shit."

Tyne laughed. "Don't worry about me. It could be worse." He shrugged his big shoulders and smiled.

"You could be free of that life. I could ask Yuri to use magic, cut your chains --"

"Ha. You could ask her, but she's likely to kill me first," Tyne said, smiling to reveal his long fang. "And . . ." He frowned. "I do not wish to be free, Kilyan."

Kilyan sighed, thinking of Aren. "You don't want to be free? What the hell is wrong with you slaves?"

Tyne laughed. "You wouldn't understand. I am bound to Chief Kachada. I have been since I was a child. I'll always belong to him. And I'll always love him."

Kilyan nodded but Tyne was right: he didn't understand.

"Did you make it home to your family? I know you found one of your sons, at least."

"I made it home to everyone. I even had more kids."

"Oh, happy day!"

Kilyan laughed. He looked at Tyne fondly. "I never thanked you for trying to help me."

Tyne smiled at him. "Yes, Kilyan . . . you did."

They looked at each other, and Kilyan knew Tyne was thinking of that night so long ago, that night when they made love. He cleared his throat and looked away, but he looked at Tyne again when he heard a sniff.

"Tyne! Don't cry!"

"I thought about you everyday . . ."

"Please, don't cry . . ."

"I love you. You made me believe . . . that I could be good . . . if I chose it."

Kilyan took Tyne's big paw and squeezed. He cried out when Tyne jerked him close and kissed him hard on the mouth. Tyne had always been a good kisser - amazingly enough, despite his long fang. He curled his fingers in Kilyan's mane and kissed him passionately. Their heads twisted and they moaned through the kiss. Coming to his senses, Kilyan pulled his mouth away and dropped his forehead against Tyne's. They heaved for breath.

"I waited . . . so many years . . ."

"Well, now . . . you've done it . . . and if you do it again . . . I'll kill you."

Tyne laughed. "Goodbye, Kilyan. Go and find your son."

Kilyan clapped him fondly on the cheek. "Goodbye, Tyne."

Tyne closed his paw over Kilyan's and they looked at each other a moment, then he rose from the floor, nodded at an astonished Theo and Yuri, and left with them.

Tyne watched them going out of the door, his heart soaring. He could still taste Kilyan, and that kiss . . . he would live on it the rest of his life.